Many drugs have low water solubility, and as a result, low bioavailability. In an effort to increase the bioavailability of these drugs, various formulation techniques are used. One known method includes combining such drugs with a pharmaceutically acceptable water-soluble polymer, such as an esterified cellulose ether, in an organic solvent that is optionally blended with water, to form a solution, and then spray-drying the solution. Such dry formulations 1) reduce the crystallinity of the drug, thereby minimizing the activation energy necessary for its dissolution, 2) establish hydrophilic conditions around the drug molecules, and 3) result in the improved solubility and bioavailability of the drug, i.e., its in vivo absorption by an individual upon ingestion. One commonly used esterified cellulose ether is hydroxypropyl methylcellulose acetate succinate. Unfortunately, known polymers often are not ideally suited for increasing the solubility of poorly soluble drugs as they were historically designed for other applications such as coatings.